Gates Mills man to be named Veteran of Year

“My thought was that sometime I would serve,” he said. “Growing up as an Air Force brat, I was always around uniforms."

Patrick McLaughlin

Most Americans will tell you they love their country. Patrick McLaughlin has spent much of his life proving it.

The Gates Mills resident will be recognized at a ceremony Feb. 13 as the Outstanding Veteran of the Year by the Joint Veterans Commission of Cuyahoga County. McLaughlin was chosen for his military service during the Vietnam War and his work as an advocate for veterans in the years after his return.

Although the Vietnam War was a likely destination, McLaughlin did not hesitate to sign up for the draft in 1966 after his graduation from Lakewood High School. His father had served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps before becoming a major in the U.S. Air Force. At one point, McLaughlin’s father, three uncles and one aunt were serving overseas with the military. McLaughlin and his family moved several times during his childhood, and the military environment was a big factor in his future plans.

“My thought was that sometime I would serve,” he said. “Growing up as an Air Force brat, I was always around uniforms. My turn came during the Vietnam era.”

McLaughlin chose to enter the draft, since it meant two years of service as opposed to three for those who enlisted. He was deployed to Vietnam almost immediately, where he spent one year in an infantry unit that “saw a fair amount of action,” he said. Much of that action occurred in thick jungles “in the boonies” of Vietnam, with little or no communication with the outside world.

“It was what it was,” he said. “That was the situation, and we adapted to it.”

McLaughlin said he was given a large amount of responsibility quickly, serving as a squad leader, platoon sergeant and acting platoon leader. His battalion commander, Gen. Richard Cavazos, recognized him as one the top combat soldiers he ever worked with, citing his willingness to walk the point more often than anyone else.

McLaughlin explained the soldier who walked the point lead the single-file line of soldiers on search and destroy missions through the jungle, putting him first in the line of fire. It also meant making the best decisions to keep the group as safe as possible.

While there were some casualties in his group, McLaughlin said overall they were effective against a “very well-trained and equipped” enemy. The grueling year of service did not translate into a hero’s welcome at home, with most Americans disapproving of the Vietnam War and shunning the veterans who served there.

McLaughlin joined the Ohio University Vets Club when he enrolled at the school, which was affiliated with the National Association of Concerned Veterans. He and his friend Stanley Burmich created Opportunity Fairs for Veterans, which helped connect veterans with education, job training and jobs when they returned home. Like many of today’s veterans, those who served in Vietnam returned with post-traumatic stress issues and injuries, he said.

“It is hard to transition back to normal, when what you have gone through is anything but normal,” he said.

McLaughlin re-enlisted in the Army during his time at Case Western University Law School, where he served as the Judge Advocate General’s unit until 1988. During that time he also served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. He also stepped away from that job in 1988, moving to private practice in order to spend more time with his wife, Christine, and sons Brian, Christopher and Conor. He is currently president of McLaughlin Law, LLC.

His time in public service is not entirely over, as he has served as president of the Greater Cleveland Veterans Memorial for over 15 years. The group is devoted to recognizing all of the area’s war dead on the Cleveland War Memorial.

While the memorial originally only included veterans from World War II and Korea, it now also includes those who served in the Spanish-American War, World War I, Iraq and Afghanistan. He hopes to have all of the names updated for the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the memorial in 2014.

McLaughlin said he would like to see public service mandated for all young Americans, but has been told by some it would bring down the quality of the military. About 75 percent of youths at an age to serve would not meet current requirements for enlistment, he said.

Expanding involvement would get more American engaged in the military, so more people would have a vested interest in improving opportunities for veterans who return, he said.

“Most of America is untouched by what is going on,” he said.

McLaughlin has also contributed to the book, “Dogface Charlie,” which was published in May 2012. The book can be purchased by visiting firstdivisionmuseum.org.

The JVCOCC 88th Anniversary Dinner in which McLaughlin will be honored will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at Embassy Suites Cleveland-Independence,5800 Rockside Woods Blvd. Independence.

Reservations at $35 per person are available online. Today is the deadline to order tickets. Register online at jvcocc2013.eventbrite.com/.

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